Installer update for COVID-19

Firstly, our thoughts are with everyone who has been affected by the Coronavirus outbreak. These are tough, unprecedented times, and the information and guidelines we get from government are changing daily.

Our highest priority is your safety and that of all our customers and colleagues. We recognise that the heating industry has an important role to play; people still need heating and hot water – perhaps it is even more important at this time!

Therefore, we have put the following measures in place to help protect and support you at this difficult time:

 

Training

Our training centres will be closed to external visitors until further notice.  If you have booked and paid for a training course, we will be contacting you and you will have the option of either a full refund or rebooking the course when everything is back to normal.

Should you wish to speak to somebody in the meantime, please call 0344 335 4207.

While we are in lockdown, and only essential maintenance work is being carried out, you may have more time to brush up on your skills. Our trainers have made #LockdownLearning videos and have also been answering your #BurningQuestions on our social media channels.

 

Sales support

Some of our sales team are on furlough, under the Government’s coronavirus job retention scheme, as they are unable to travel and meet with our customers at this time. Please continue to call your usual Area Sales Manager and their number will automatically connect you to the person covering your area. Please note that text messages and WhatsApp messages won’t be picked up during this time.

 

Engineer support

We can still provide a good network of engineer support. In certain areas, we are prioritising repairs as our primary focus to ensure we can support your most vulnerable customers. If a boiler is under warranty, we will offer flexibility around servicing timescales during this time so that if a boiler’s service is delayed, the warranty remains valid.

We have altered the opening times of Baxi Customer Support during the coronavirus emergency:

Monday to Friday: 8am to 6pm

Saturday: 8.30am to 2pm

Sunday: Closed

Bank Holidays: Closed

Technical Helpline opening times remain unchanged  

Production and supply

At present it is business as usual for us. Boilers, Heatrae Sadia products and Baxi Genuine Parts should be available from your usual merchant.

 

Keep yourself safe

We recommend that you take the following actions to keep yourself safe when visiting your customers:

1. Call in advance and check that they do not have any symptoms of Coronavirus and are not self-isolating because they have been in contact with someone with the virus.  If they have, then rearrange the visit for when their isolation finishes.

2. Keep your distance – around 2 metres is the government recommendation and use appropriate PPE, such as a mask and gloves. Remember not to shake hands, wash your hands with soap and water frequently, and use antibacterial wipes to clean the boiler case and controls before you start work.

3. Do not ask your customers to sign for your work using a touchscreen; you can ask them to sign a paper and then scan their signature for your records.

4. If you have any symptoms of the virus yourself, you should self-isolate for 14 days and refer to the government guidelines.

Check out our Guide to working safely.

 

Baxi Works

• The Baxi Works support line is still operating.You can call 0345 121 3212 or email support@baxiworks.co.ukHowever, the opening hours have altered slightly:

  Monday – Friday        9am – 5pm

• Due to fulfilment difficulties, we have made the decision to switch off the Rewards catalogue until we are able to supply the full catalogue of gifts again.You will still be able to register your points to use once the restrictions have been lifted.We will extend the ‘valid until’ date of any points due to expire during lockdown, so you can spend them when everything is back to normal.
• Unfortunately, we have had to suspend same day and next day callouts for Baxi Works members as our call centre and engineers are prioritising repairs for vulnerable people and key workers, then customers with no heating or hot water. We will let you know when we are able to resume normal service.
• We are freezing Baxi Works membership levels so that if installation numbers drop as a result of coronavirus, installers will not lose their Associate or Baxi Approved Installer status.
• We are switching off the Service Reminder function so that homeowners don’t feel pressured into arranging for an installer to visit to carry out an annual service. We will backdate this function when the country’s isolation period comes to an end. Boiler warranties will not be affected by the delay, as long as a service is carried out within a reasonable time once the isolation period has ended.
  
  

Important links

Covid-19 advice from HHIC: https://www.hhic.org.uk/news/hhic-issue-updated-advice-to-heating-engineers-on-working-during-covid-19-crisis

Government coronavirus website: https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus

Advice from HSE: https://www.hse.gov.uk/news/coronavirus.htm#

Government business support finder tool: https://www.gov.uk/business-coronavirus-support-finder

Self-employment income support scheme: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-a-grant-through-the-coronavirus-covid-19-self-employment-income-support-scheme

 

Finally, we would like to thank you for your loyalty. We can assure you we are doing everything we can to support you during this difficult time and are endeavouring to maintain ‘business as usual’ – even if it is a different kind of ‘usual’!

Yours sincerely,

 

David Cook

Residential Sales Director – UK & Ireland

Baxi Heating 

 

You can read our full policy here. We are reviewing it daily to keep in line with government guidelines.